Precious Pet
by Shiki Yomi
Summary: Inspiration from "Pet" by A Perfect Circle. Saviorshipping. RenxLyserg with some Hao thrown in. Chapter 6 up.
1. Chapter 1: Foreshadowing

**x **

"**Precious Pet"**

_Written by Shiki_

**Hello~** This is a fanfiction written for the animanga Shaman King. I do not own it, nor do I plan to. This is for entertainment purposes only and basically meant to be a good read. I am not getting profited from this in any way shape or form. Shaman King belongs to Hiroyuki Takei, and so do all of the characters except where listed otherwise.

This fanfiction has intense **yaoi**, that means homosexual relations between two of the characters. If you do not LIKE yaoi, then guess what? I guess you won't be reading this, now will you? If you don't like yaoi to begin with, I don't even want a review about how you didn't like it. If you have genuine criticism, that'd be fantastic. Praise is nice as well. It keeps me writing. 8)

_RenxLyserg, with Hao thrown in.  
>yeahhhhhhhhhh, watch me do it.<em>

Now, without further ado...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter One: "Foreshadowing"<strong>

I could barely breathe. It felt as if the entire weight of his body was crushing me into the floor. The bed my back was pressed against no longer felt soft or yielding to my terror. I kept shaking my head back and forth trying to wake up. My mind had to be playing tricks on me. This couldn't be real. The scent of nail polish still lingered inside of my nostrils. It burned a bit and made my limbs so cumbersome, unwilling to cooperate with the simplest of wishes.

"I have... to protect him..."

My voice wouldn't carry. It was like a ghost more fleeting than my own, exiting through my lips and floating into the ceiling, becoming nothing on impact. Lips mashed against mine with such strength, I was unable to prevent it. The body my soul was inhabiting didn't feel like my own. It refused to move; dead weight as my mouth was pried open and infiltrated by a warm muscle. It moved around like a creature, slipping in and out and around, poking and prodding and sliding; taking inventory of every point of my mouth.

Hoarsely, I attempted to speak. My eyes opened up and tried to find the culprit behind my defeat. I could barely focus on the dark haired male. His statuesque form was unmistakable. I had fallen victim to the one thing I tried to prevent. How far was this going? Memories of the beginning were foggy, but now everything was so...

"Stealing my prey?"

Chills ran down through my body. I would have shivered if I had enough control over my body presently. More worried about the well-being of my... my... my love, I didn't dare refute this man's claim. I couldn't. At the same token, I wasn't about to give him the pleasure of watching me squirm. Eyes closed up and I twisted my head away once again. Every time his hand placed on my intimacy would squeeze, I felt a lump boil in my throat and fill me with nausea. He was growing restless. I couldn't relent to that fucker.

"You'd give yourself again for him?"

...Again? Again? The way that my much brighter eyes widened seemed to please the other. He was grinning. Why... why was he grinning?

Oh, fuck, he knows. He knows. He knows. He knows. He knows.

His grin is widening.

My body goes slack as my legs are hoisted skyward against my will.

I can't try to remember the rest.

Purple flowers, blood, and nail polish.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Hello, my name is Lyserg Diethel. I'm a dowser, and a Shaman. My guardian ghost is a nature spirit; Morphine. I have been traveling with Yoh-kun and his friends through America as they find their way to the patch village for the second round of the Shaman Tournament.

...Asakura Hao killed my parents, and I plan on having my revenge. I'm not yet quite strong enough, but I plan on honing my skills for my one moment of victory; when I see that man burn for burning my parents, and burning all who oppose him. One day that fire that he cherishes so boldly will backfire into his face and all will be set straight.

It is my destiny, my quest. It is the only thing that gives my life meaning anymore, chasing him down and making sure he gets what he deserves. For one thousand years he's been trying to become the Shaman King. He still doesn't have as much passion as I do. I'm sure that I hate him, much much more than he realizes.

After all, my family was just another casualty to him, right?

I doubt if he even knows my name.


	2. Chapter 2: SOL

**x **

**Chapter Two: "S.O.L."**

"Y-Yoh-kun... It's starting to rain."

"Hai..."

Their faces were inches deep in the ground it seemed. After miles of walking and walking, looking desperately for the next round of the tournament, they had taken this time to rest down on the ground. Lyserg was the first to speak up when the gentle array of rain began to flow down in sheets. None of the tired out shaman felt it was worth it to get up and move however for whatever reason suited them. Lyserg forced himself to sit up, cringing a bit when his stomach growled as soon as it was aware that it's owner was indeed still awake it seemed. Morphine glittered as she sat upon his shoulder as always, glancing in either direction. After a few seconds she jumped up off of his shoulder and flew around for a moment before Lyserg answered the questions that were brewing inside of her head.

"No, there don't seem to be any places of civilization for miles," he spoke with a downcast gaze toward the ground.

"There has to be. This is ridiculous," Lyserg heard from the pile of shaman that were laying over the now wet ground.

Ren was laying on his back with his hands folded over his stomach. Despite the fact that it was raining, he didn't seem to get hit in the face in a way that would distract him from his speech. It seemed that something as trivial as this wouldn't bother him, which was interesting considering there were a cornucopia of small things that set Tao Ren off.

"Bason, go find the closest town," Ren spoke with his eyes closing some; he was relieved that the boiling sun wasn't bathing them in inescapable light, but now obviously plagued with the fact that they were getting rained on and their stomachs were craving nourishment.

"Hai, Bocchama!"

"I will accompany you," soon spoke Yoh's samurai spirit Amidamaru as he appeared beside his nearly unconscious shaman.

Yoh's half lidded eyes floated up toward his spirit and he seemed to chuckle a bit. "Don't worry about me. Anna's training is... much worse... compared..." The sentence trailed off terribly as Yoh seemed to exert the last of his strength in trying to pick his head up and he face planted into the wet dirt once again.

"Y-Yoh-dono!"

"Quickly, Amidamaru. We cannot hesitate!" Bason warned effortlessly before downsizing himself into Hitodama mode. Once the two ghosts were little glowing spirit balls, they turned to fly in opposite directions to cover as much ground as possible. A voice spoke up from beside Ryu's body, a green spirit ball that seemed to be more than just annoyed at being left behind.

"Hey! HEY! Which way do I go?"

With no answer readily available, Tokageroh jolted off forward, luckily taking the one direction that the other two spirits had neglected. In that moment of time, Lyserg wondered if Kororo was going to follow suit, but when he glanced over toward Horohoro, it seemed that she was snuggling in close to her shaman. Despite the fact that he loved Morphine possibly more than anyone else since she was his companion, it always seemed as if Kororo was closer to Horohoro than most. He didn't seem to be dying of exhaustion or hunger however. The older boy merely seemed to be asleep. Lyserg supposed that with as much as he eats, he could go into a state of hibernation while the rest of them starved.

Lyserg pulled his knees in toward his chest and wrapped his arms around them. His chin pressed into his knees and he tried to ignore the aching of his stomach. Truth be told, he probably knew that they would get to an eating establishment soon and this wasn't some sort of life or death situation, but it didn't help the fact that his body felt like it was the end of the world. As the boy began to close his eyes, he heard that slightly deeper voice once again.

"You've got something on your mind."

"Huh?"

Lyserg turned his head in the direction of the voice. The sky was darker and the rain was coming down harder and colder than before, but he could still make out the gentle silhouette of Ren just about anywhere. Right now he was sitting up with his jacket removed. It was draped over his head in an attempt to staunch the flow of water onto his body. He didn't seem to be doing such a good job, but Lyserg wouldn't comment on it. After all, he was readily allowing the water to completely bathe him. By the time their spirits finally did return and they had a direction to go in, they would probably hear the sloshing of liquid and the squelching from inside of the shoes the entire way there.

"Your mind: there is a thought on it," Ren seemed to speak with a rather rancid tone of voice, not liking the fact that he had to repeat himself.

"Oh, no not really," Lyserg fibbed, figuring that those amber eyes wouldn't be able to tell from where they were.

The Tao was not about to let the conversation go the way that Lyserg wanted it to go, which was nowhere. When he was about to speak up once again however, he was met with an unexpected interruption.

"No spirits, and you're all practically defenseless."

Lyserg knew that voice before anyone else. His bright green eyes circled the area with fear and anger, immediately awaiting for the man to show himself.

"HAO!"

"You're... _so small._"


	3. Chapter 3: Trust

**x **

**Chapter Three: "Trust"**

Ren bolted off toward Lyserg's body as soon as he could, for the green haired one was so full of rage and anticipation that he had began to sprint without another word spoken. It didn't seem to register completely in his mind that he was no match for the eldest Asakura. Luckily Ren got as close as he did when he did. He reached his hand forward and snatched the back of Lyserg's collar. He muttered Chinese curses beneath his breath as he proceeded to ground his heels into the mud and rip his body backward with all of the strength in his toned arms. At that moment, Lyserg's body was torn back through the air. The space his body once occupied was now replaced by a flare of flames that whipped in the center of the sky at the arrival of Asakura Hao.

Had Ren not have grabbed Lyserg at that moment, he would have been burned surely. They both fell backwards into the mud and the dirt as the laughter of the male filled the air and the other sleeping shaman awoke, suddenly aware of the presence that was now before them.

Lyserg coughed and spit, having caught mud in his mouth, staining his teeth. Cringing and wiping his mouth, he turned his head up toward Ren who got up before he had. ...Things always were like this, right? Ren had saved him on numerous occasions. The thought of Ren specifically looking out for him was a comforting one, but it was a bit of a stretch. When he first met Ren and Horohoro, he had defeated them effortlessly and ended up sending them to the hospital, completely destroying their weapons. When he found out Ren's past, he figured he was lucky that the other didn't swear some sort of revenge on him and decided instead to allow him to join their group and defend him.

Right now, Ren was being his protector like it seemed he always was. His hands were covered in mud, gripped in tight fists. Their guardian ghosts weren't there to help them, so why was Hao here? Did he actually plan on killing them now? Or did he have some sort of plan that they weren't aware of?

The green haired dowser heard the sounds of the other shaman rising up. Yoh stood up suddenly, almost as if the ache in his stomach didn't quite exist anymore, while Ryu and Horohoro were a bit slow to start.

"Nii-chan, what ar-" Yoh started in before Hao's slightly deeper voice (definitely more domineering voice) corrected him.

"I told you not to call me that."

Hao had appeared in mid-air it seemed and eventually he landed upon the ground with a gentle thud; clamor made from the rather large red lego boots he wore. Everyone's eyes were fixated on him but he didn't seem to move immediately. His intent was not clear at the moment, considering how his hands were hidden from sight by his poncho. Was he trying to attack?

Lyserg forced himself to stand up, trying to make it seem as if he weren't cowering behind Ren when that ended up being the case. None of them had their spirits on them, but when it came up to raw strength and fighting ability, Lyserg figured that Ryu and Ren had the best chances. But who was he trying to kid? This was Asakura Hao wasn't it?

"Hiding from me? That's unusual," Hao spoke brazenly, his eyes not even making contact with anyone. The shaman's eyes began to drift around, wondering exactly who it could be that he was speaking to since he seemed to stare off into nothingness.

Slowly however, Hao's eyes began to drift in Lyserg's direction. During this time, Ren gritted his teeth and allowed his eyes to wander about the landscape without moving his body. Where had their spirits gone? How could Hao sneak up on them without their spirits recognizing it?

"Oh, don't worry about your spirits. They are blissfully unaware that I am here. I didn't harm them. I didn't come here for them," Asakura Hao spoke, easily reading Ren's mind.

That was the one thing that got on Tao Ren's nerves, feeling as if none of his inner most thoughts were sacred when that bastard could stare into his head and pluck them out like eyelashes. His knuckles turned white until a numbing feeling took over them, causing him to open and close his hands to avoid completely exploding. All of them had the same unexplainable rage in their hearts toward him, but none of them could jump. They knew that the moment they did, they would be roasted; toast in a mere second.

"...What do you want from us?" Yoh led in first since the rest seemed to be hell bent on winning a staring contest with him until he spoke up on his intentions.

Lyserg noticed the way that every time Hao's eyes came back toward him, the purple haired male in front of him tensed up; his arms growing thicker with the rage he held inside when his hands tightened and his muscles. Ren's eyes began to slim vertically, glowering toward the Asakura in question. The air was thick with some sort of anticipation. Despite the fact that all of them, Ren being the number one proprietor, appeared to not shake with fear, when Hao began to raise his hand up Lyserg saw him shiver slightly. Hao's hand movement was feathery, and he held his hand out toward Ren... or the male cowering behind him.

"I would like to have a little chit-chat with Lyserg."

"You bastard," Ren started in immediately after.

Lyserg had his hands rested on Ren's shoulder blades as he stood behind him, unsure on where to place himself. From here, he could feel the way that he tensed up and he pulled his hands back. Hao began to laugh and Lyserg took it upon himself to move from behind the protection of his friend and into the open. The boy wasn't quite sure what he was thinking. Maybe he was crazy. He didn't know at the moment. It was something done on pure impulse when he opened up his arms and his wide stance spoke for itself before words passed his lips.

"Let's go then, you and me, mano a mano."

"What?" Ren began with his head whipping toward the green haired one. "You can't be serious, can you? You know he'd tear you in half!"

"I think we can trust him," spoke a voice that seemed to brim with that awkward innocence he'd always carried.

It was assumed that everyone in the immediate area stopped what they were doing just to glance in the direction of the person almost idiotic enough to make that kind of statement. There stood Asakura Yoh, not with some sort of grin on his face or anything but a look of genuine contentment. It was a bit unsettling, and thus he was met with many "WHAT"s, some more louder than others.

"What are you even saying?" Horohoro started in. To be honest, he didn't really care about Lyserg all that much, but the prospect of someone trusting Hao with _anything _was a bit farfetched.

"Well, I mean..." Yoh began, blinking gently and holding his finger up to his face. It seemed that even Hao was eager to see the others explanation for this.

"I can take care of myself, right Yoh?" Lyserg asked, glancing over his shoulder some, noticing the way that Ren seemed to pass a glance toward him before Yoh spoke again.

"No it's not that. Hao could incinerate any one of us right now if he really wanted to, and it's obvious that's not what he's doing. I believe, regardless of what the subject matter really is, he does want to just talk to Lyserg," Yoh spoke with that soft reasoning that the others had exhibited from him. A few of them, namely Ryu who stood by Yoh's side no matter what, were appeased by this whereas Ren was clearly showing the other side of the coin.

"So you mean to tell me that just because he _could _kill us and he _hasn't, _means that letting him just have Lyserg is a good idea?"

"Well, if he was going to hurt him or kill him, why not just do it here?" Yoh proposed.

The more that Yoh spoke, the more aggravated the young Tao was getting with this sort of argument. It made absolutely no sense to him and he wasn't about to try and think that it did. When his eyes floated back toward Lyserg, he didn't like the thought of letting him go with Hao. Ren still thought of that loss against him with Horohoro as a fluke. There is no way he'd be able to defend himself against Hao. Ren lost because he had underestimated him. Hao could win no matter what. He could underestimate all he wanted with the Spirit of Fire by his side. Even without that, the powers he'd received over the past 1,000 years or so surpassed all of them.

Hao seemed to notice this sudden influx of thoughts regarding him and his power and took a moment to give a gentle smile toward Ren.

"If you know all of this, you'd better listen to your friends."

Ren's entire body seemed to shake for a moment as his muscles tightened and forced him to keep a stationary position. Otherwise, he might just be too tempted to attempt clocking that bastard in the face. Lyserg frowned a bit, noticing Ren's spontaneous amount of interest he seemed to show and found it fit to console him. He just didn't know what to say.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," Lyserg spoke airily before his eyes glared back toward Asakura Hao. "I wouldn't let him lay a damn finger on me."

The amount of defiance in the younger boy's voice was enough to make Hao begin to laugh, and despite how genuinely amused it sounded, perhaps that was the reason that everyone began to feel a little bit unsettled. His laugh seemed to expand in the air and command the attention of the ears around him. When he was finished he stepped forward and swiftly snaked the boy's wrist inside his palm. Lyserg pulled away instantly but to no avail. He'd go with Hao, but he didn't like being touched by him _at all._

"We'll see you soon," he uttered promptly before his location with Lyserg was suddenly enveloped with fire; and just like that, they were gone.


	4. Chapter 4: Conversation

**x **

**Chapter Four: "Conversation"**

Thoughts swirled around inside of the young Tao's mind. Never before in his life had he felt such a need to protect. The last time he felt this sort of pain in his chest causing him discomfort was when he had come home after the first round of the tournament and was face to face with his father once again. The fact that Jun was in danger seemed to shake his resolve, his ability to protect the people around him that he deeply cared for. Whether they knew it or not by the way that he acted and spoke often, he figured it'd get his emotions across enough when it came down to brass tacks and he was putting his life on the line for them. It was, without a shadow of a doubt, nerve-wracking. Just the fact that Yoh would so readily allow Lyserg to go did not sit right with him. There was no doubt that Lyserg was in some kind of danger, and they all let him... he let him go.

"Oi, Ren..."

The Tao was laying on a couch in the hotel that they had found when their spirits returned back to them. Although the blue haired shaman appeared to be trying to get his attention, Ren was out of it. His head was tilted over the side of the sofa arm and he seemed to just gaze out into space. It was rather uncharacteristic of him to say the least. After a few waves of his hand in front of the younger's face, Ren reacted almost violently. The hand shook and blurred its way back into his vision, causing surprising alarm to the Chinese boy's system. Ren grabbed the hand in front of him and pulled it towards him, raising his own opposite elbow to smash into the arm. The male let out a shriek as he was brought to the floor. Ren stood up from the couch and made sure to twist the arm behind his back.

All of this happened within a matter of a few seconds, and it seemed to be some sort of natural reaction to Ren. After a few seconds of staring down at the subdued back did he realize exactly what was going on.

"Ey, Ren! Ren! Relax! Chill out, it's just me!"

Blink, blink. …

"Horohoro..."

It took a few seconds for everything to register in his mind, but Ren let go of the other shaman's arm and stood up straight. He stared down at him and watched as Horohoro rubbed his arm, wondering if he knocked something out of place or something like that.

"What was that about? What's wrong with you?" Horohoro yelled as he massaged his elbow and adjusted himself as he got back up to his feet.

Ren didn't seem willing to give an answer at the moment considering his brain was still scattered elsewhere. He merely left his arms at his sides rather than crossed over his chest and showed considerable thought before speaking. His golden orbs didn't glance back up at the ice shaman just yet.

"I don't know, I just... You caught me by surprise."

Horohoro stared and silently began to wonder what was awry with Ren at the moment. They were often at each others throats in agitation since fighting was what they seemed to be able to do best. As much as Horohoro seemed to silently miss that in his friend, he just wasn't in it today. Something was definitely eating at him from the inside. In an attempt to try to find out what had Ren in a confused bundle of knots, Horohoro snapped his fingers in front of Ren's face and grabbed his attention.

"Hey, what's with you? You've been acting real strange..." Horohoro lead on for a bit, before the events of the day before came rushing back to him and it was made crystal clear. "You're worried about Lyserg aren't you?" the male asked with that insinuating gaze.

Usually when Horohoro was confused about something or asked a question, it was obvious that he was genuinely looking for an answer. The look on his face coupled with the way the question was asked, it was obvious that Horohoro was already dead set on the truth regardless of whatever Ren had to say. The Tao shot a glare toward the other and it suddenly seemed as if once again, they were standing worlds apart from each other. Horohoro's eyes held this harsh indifference that Ren felt it hard to place in his face. Ren could feel the black eyes reflecting off of his own sharp jaundice pair. He felt like he was caught in a mouse trap.

"What does it matter to you? He is our comrade isn't he?"

Ren was confused as to why he suddenly felt like he had to defend himself against Horohoro; as if it was some sort of defeat to admit by stating that he was worried over the current condition of someone in their group. There seemed to be something that offended Horohoro in some way with the way that his eyes seemed to scale Ren up and down as if scanning him, looking for something, or trying to analyze him.

"It seems to be more than that."

Ren's teeth began to ground themselves into each other with anger. "What does it matter to you?" he repeated, this time pausing in his breath after each word to further emphasize his point. Ren couldn't find it in his heart at the moment to be completely and utterly brazen with him. He simply did not want to concern himself with emotions that would leave him unsettled. When Horohoro took a while to finally answer him, Ren felt like he was on edge the whole time. Horohoro glanced down at the ground and began to scratch the area behind his head where his neck and skull connected, readjusting the way he was standing as if unsettled before speaking.

"We're your friends, Ren, but you never tell us how you feel. You're always so... distant, you know that? It's nerve-wracking to see you finally care about something," Horohoro seemed to speak honestly with a meek tone of voice toward his friend, and for the first time in what appeared to be a long time, Ren saw him that way.

He wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to say however, knowing that he had sincere intentions and was merely a bit worried. Ren merely turned to face the other direction, finding it much easier to think when he couldn't see Horohoro and his awkward mannerisms out of the side of his eyes. His arms crossed themselves over his bosom and he sighed out with his entire body appearing to shiver sightly.

"I don't like the thought of Lyserg by himself with that monster. Ever since he's joined our group I've been hard on him for what he did but at the same time trying to save him. I suppose I sent him mixed signals a lot..." Ren seemed to lament to himself more than to Horohoro, who merely stood behind him listening like any good friend would while he tried to gather his thoughts together.

Ren could still picture his face etched in dismay merely seconds before Hao arrived, still wondering what it was that he was thinking about, longing to see the brightness return to those beautiful green eyes. Lyserg had a difficult past much like he did, but he still had the strength to smile where it counted, and precious it was. Perhaps Ren wasn't so strong in some ways, seen by the fact that he wore that strict poker face and never allowed himself the frivolity of a grin. Finding someone else that was... he was eager, almost desperate to save it from being broken.

The Tao turned back toward Horohoro a second to finish what he was saying. Horohoro could tell that those yellow eyes seemed colder this time around. The fire inside of them seemed to have cooled down considerably.

"I want to go to where Hao is and save him. I don't care what Yoh said, Horohoro, and I don't care about what anyone else says. I don't like it and it's eating away at my conscience."

Horohoro wasn't sure what to say to his friend at the moment. Would he agree? Would he let him? Perhaps lie to Yoh about where he had gone? Or would he stop him? Force him not to go? Alert the others? Ren didn't seem to be ready nor willing to stand there and wait for some sort of answer, which was made obvious by the way that he immediately began to walk toward the corner of the room where his Kwan Dao sat untouched for what appeared to be forever. As he snatched it, he could feel the spirit inhabiting it awaken for a moment as if it had been sleeping and appear before him in a ghostly ember.

"I will go with you, no matter what, Bocchama."

Ren didn't answer, but it was obvious and unspoken that he approved. Bason always was right there with him no matter what the circumstance was. He could remember all of Bason's loyalty when he thought of him as a tool and merely abused him. Thinking about it just made him shiver. When he had been imprisoned by his father, he had to tell Bason too many times to count to get out before he was taken as well. Just the fact that his spirit had been begging and begging to not leave his side no matter what the cost seemed to be enough to prove everything he'd known about spirits upside down. There would be no turning back now. Although he'd always knew it of Bason, it felt better now to know that he was still behind him 110%, even now.

"I'm coming with you," Horohoro finally stuttered out, deciding on what he was going to do regarding the matter.

There didn't seem to be an immediate reaction from Ren's side as he began to adjust his black wrist bands as well as his oracle bell. Placing his Kwan Dao over his shoulder and stepping into his black kung fu slippers, he turned to glance at Horohoro with determination brimming over in those golden hues.

"Then you'd better hurry."


	5. Chapter 5: Wine

**x **

**Chapter Five: "Wine"**

It didn't take nearly as long as the young Tao had expected. Within the hour, the two friends had gotten their things together and already had a lead in the right direction. Sneaking out without word to anyone else was a leap among all things but they couldn't afford to be followed or perhaps stopped in their pursuit. To be completely honest, Horohoro wasn't all that fond of Lyserg. That much was clear from the day that they met, but someone who did mean a lot to him as a friend was Ren. Helping him out was all that mattered right now, even if that meant rescuing the green haired male.

They returned back to the very spot in the desert where they had been stranded earlier. It made Horohoro a bit anxious but Ren had sense to take hold of the situation. His golden eyes glanced out at the landscape. The moon had taken over and the land was a shade of blue almost as if it had been transformed into an ocean in all directions, flaccid land. His hand lifted and with the snap of his fingers, the guardian ghost Bason appeared behind him as always, ready to assist his master. Before Ren even had to ask, Bason was aware of what his master wanted to know.

"Bason, you and the other spirits were absent when Hao arrived with the Spirit of Fire and then vanished. Where is it that you believe he disappeared to?"

"I do believe I saw a flicker of fire and light to the west, Bocchama. It is a terribly far distance for you both to travel. Do you see it wise to proceed?"

At first Horohoro almost cringed, as if wondering if Ren was going to respond with sarcasm or an attitude in regards to Bason's question. After all, Ren was the type of person to always see himself as wise or intelligent in his decisions. Ren seemed to be more austere about the situation and merely responded quickly and clearly.

"I do, Bason. Let's get a move on," Ren spoke with his golden vision turning toward the black pupils of his friend beside him.

Horohoro merely nodded in return, determination swimming in his eyes.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Please, have a seat, Lyserg-kun," spoke a dark velvety tone of voice.

Lyserg noticed the way that his tone seemed to vibrate gently, thick, matching the dark hue of the wine that was being poured generously into a beautifully crafted Victorian glass. Although there were two glasses now filled with the luscious red liquid, the younger green haired male did not think that in the slightest he would be partaking in any of this. The dark brown eyes inside of the skull of Asakura Hao were locked onto Lyserg as if he were a target of some kind as he sat at the other end of the small dinner table. Lyserg didn't want to make himself so readily comfortable and merely glowered across the dark chocolate room with an unsettling frown.

Quickly after arriving to Hao's current place of residence, Lyserg had tried to figure out just what Hao wanted from him and didn't seem to be getting any answers. The dowser had been locked inside of a plain black room, akin to a dungeon but with more comfort until now when the doors had opened themselves, and he found himself in the room he now stood in. For a moment the boy's eyes drifted up to find a gorgeous chandelier crowning the dinner table, and as he looked back down toward it, Hao's eyes felt so distracting. Just making eye contact with the fire shaman made him feel like he was being penetrated, probably because of that damn reishi. The moment those words crossed his mind, Hao's eyes seemed to light up a bit with knowledge. The small smirk that jutted at the sides of his mouth made chills slide up and down the boys spine; goose flesh breaking from his skin.

"Come, sit," Hao continued to insist as he picked up his wine glass and brought it to his lips, appearing to kiss it between his lips before his tone dropped into his chest. "I mean it."

In the dim lighting, Lyserg couldn't see the exact contours of the Asakura's face and the fragile way his eyebrows seemed to gently sway with his emotion. Hao never seemed to get enraged or surprised to the point where he didn't appear completely and utterly calm. He had that swagger about him, of always being in control and having any and everything in the palm of his hand. Who was there to argue that he didn't?

Regardless, arguing with Asakura Hao was not something Lyserg was up to do since he didn't want to grow hostile just yet. He would give the male the chance to speak before deciding his actions. Lyserg highly doubted that they would go anywhere pleasant however. Hao was obviously not that surprised to hear this. With the flick back of his wrist, the wine slipped down his throat like leather before he smacked his lips and watched as Lyserg did absolutely nothing but stare.

"How curious of you to bring me here for a drink," Lyserg stated with a bad taste in his mouth from merely glancing at the liquor.

Hao merely gripped Lyserg's eyes with his own and kept them hooked for a few moments before chuckling and placing his wine down. Lyserg took the time to notice his attire, and wondered exactly what was so important that the Asakura would be dressed in a suit of sorts. The onyx shade of it seemed to shine beneath the almost yellow light that almost lit up the room.

"I didn't bring you here for a drink. I brought the drink for you. Come now; don't waste it."

Lyserg took his eyes off of his sworn enemy long enough to gaze at the glass of wine, staring and trying to see if he could see any floating particles that would tip him off that something had been slipped into his drink. Not likely that he would find anything even if Hao had, and he stood there and watched him pour the drinks himself. Was he merely planning on getting the boy tipsy?

"I don't need my mind clouded with your alcohol, Hao. Just tell me what you want with me so I can leave."

"Clouded with alcohol?" Hao spoke incredulously with his lips curling up into a grin. "Your mind is clouded with things much worse than liquor."

At that exact moment, Lyserg was aware once again that Hao had been infiltrating his mind this entire time. Not entirely aware of how Hao gained his ability, and obviously not understanding of the fact that the elder Asakura was completely unable to control it to begin with, Lyserg felt no shame in his anger toward the other, deciding now was the moment to share his inner most fantasies of killing the man across the table in cold blood without the slightest change in facial expression. As the slow download of images rolled into Hao's mind, he seemed to grow more amused before finishing his already initiated thought.

"Revenge."

The room suddenly felt a thousand degrees. Lyserg was unsure why that made his blood boil and pump into his ears but his hands began to grip the table cloth with upset.

"This grudge you hold against me will get you nowhere. You don't have the strength to defeat me, and you never will at this point," Hao began to speak with his fingers interlacing with one another, rested down on the table in front of him. There was a bit of a silence where Lyserg was unsure of what to say immediately before Hao filled the silence up once again. "But I see the potential in you. You took down both Ren and Horohoro at the same time. I'm sure that man with the pompadour would have been defeated even quicker since they all have the same penchant for underestimating you. Yoh was the only one to defeat you, which is to be expected. He _is _my other half after all."

As the conversation continued, the boy began to squint his eyes with feigned understanding, trying to get at what Hao actually meant by this. Was he... complimenting him? Saying he had potential? What was this leading into?

"I never underestimated your parents. I knew their strength. I knew that when they refused my so generously given offer, I could easily eradicate them."

"Now that's enough!" Lyserg screamed across the table, clearly not caring any longer where Hao was going with his statements and deciding to interrupt him outright.

"And I'm not going to underestimate your strength either," Hao continued with the pace of his sentences quickening and rushing together, clearly unhappy with being cut off but not willing to openly show his rage and risk losing his hold on the situation. "Lyserg, put the past behind you, and don't make the same stupid mistake. Sit back, relax, have some wine and remember that you're better than the rest of them," he spoke before lifting the wine glass to his lips again.

"And join me."


	6. Chapter 6: Crash

**X**

**Author note**

Heyyy, I began this fanfiction somewhat 6 months ago? Yeah, and then I set it back down. I've decided that I'm going to be picking this back up though I've got other things on my mind at the moment as well. So, continuing Precious Pet isn't exactly my primary concern, considering I've forgotten much of the secret in-depth plot that I had planned for it. So I'm gonna pull this story up by its britches and wing it!

**Chapter Six: "Crash"**

What did Asakura Hao think that he was proposing; going to the prom together or something? This was something serious and there he was, slightly slouched by this point in his chair, giving that chocolaty stare as If he did not have a care in the world. Was he being legitimate regarding this? Lyserg, joining him?

No, something struck Lyserg in the back of his mind. There was something gravely awry with this. Gravely awry indeed. Why him of all people? Lyserg's brain slanted backwards, trapped in thought. Did he honestly see some sort of deep rooted potential in him? Even so, it was almost uncharacteristic for him to attempt to convert someone whose hatred was already so obvious and prevalent. Truly, there was not a single day where Lyserg did not have Hao in his thoughts, even for a split second. His parents and his anger, and his loneliness and his social anxiety— it drowned his mind.

Although he had been accepted by Yoh and the others, he could not shake the feeling of paranoia in the back of his head. Did he really mean as much to them as they did to him? So many fears piled up on his shoulders. Every time Horohoro gave him that sideways stare that reminded him of the critical events in the past, and every time that Ren went out on a limb to protect him, and every time that he merely stared into the mirror, it was there. The constant notion that he wasn't valued, that he wasn't good enough ate away at the back of his mind.

Hao knew it was there. The chartreuse haired boy was lost in thought, as per usual, but the Asakura merely fed on it. Yes, continue allowing me to venture inside of your brain and show me all the intimate parts of you.

The time ticked on mercilessly, when Lyserg was brought back to his senses. Where was he? In this dining room, and that glass of wine in front of him had yet to be touched. Lyserg did not intend on swallowing a drop of it, although he could not change the fact that it grew more and more tempting as he eyed it. Was this Hao's plan?

"You're horribly mistaken if you think that I'd… ever…" Lyserg started.

His expression continued to morph and change shape. First he wore a frown that stretched across his face like a scarf. The more that he allowed his eyes to stare off into the abyss, the more that they grew lost. Lyserg's lips grew smaller. His eyes walked into the darkness until they were no longer seeing. His brain felt muddled.

"Why—why are you asking me this?"

The Asakura merely chuckled beneath his breath, finding Lyserg's response cute. He was cute, wasn't he? Very cute, he was.

"Why did it take you so long to reply, Lyserg-kun?" questioned the much older boy.

It was not as if Hao did not know. It was just a habit of his. It showed how much power he had if he could make them spill it, rather than just plucking it out of their brain. It took a certain type of man to operate in this fashion—there could be no other but Asakura Hao. In truth, who knew whether he really wanted Lyserg to himself? Perchance it was true, but why would he need him? Hao would generally love it if any of Yoh's little squad came and decided to join the winning side, but he did not make an effort to go out and seek it. What made Lyserg so different this time? What was the catch?

These thoughts were interrupted as it seemed that Lyserg had plans of his own. Hao couldn't keep his mind straight when the thoughts of the boy across from him were so loud. But he knew what was sure to come.

"No! I will be the one who is going to defeat you!"

Foolish. Morphine was nowhere to be found and yet he still had the nerve to stand up against him in this manner? Hao's patience wasn't one to wear thin however. Not this quickly, no. As Lyserg removed himself from his place, the first thing that he snatched was the chair tightly with his fingers. The wood beneath was finely polished and sleek beneath his grasp before Lyserg gave a harsh cry.

With rage flowing through his veins, the dowser lifted the piece of furniture up with some difficulty due to its weight. It was no simple stool or lawn chair. Finely crafted, likely for Hao himself, and it was chucked across the table. Much too heavy to travel too far across the lengthy table, its body crashed into the surface with a powerful crash. Hao didn't bother to move from his seat with the echoes of splinters and fractured wood entered his ears. Not a blink would be witnessed from his face. The caving of the center of the table resulted in the glasses of wine and the bottle itself to be thrown from their positions inward. The crashing of glass took control of the atmosphere. Wine spattered across the wall and the fragmented pieces of furniture.

The sheer quakes made the chandelier above begin to shiver and shake. It was the only thing in the room to take Lyserg's attention away from Hao's gaze in that moment. Morphine was not with him in this moment, but he could at least try. If trying was all that Lyserg Diethel had left, then he would try until there wasn't an ounce of strength left in his body. With the jerk of his wrist and a heavy grunt, Lyserg swung his arm and his pendulum flew out at the chains holding the piece of art captive. For a slight moment, Hao took his eyes off of the shaman, if only to observe the state of the chandelier. It was so beautiful.

It crashed into the center of the table with a clamor and a bang. Feeling quite accomplished with himself, the dowser suddenly turned to flee. This was his chance, he thought. In the confusion of such destruction, Lyserg would be able to run away, or at least find a hiding place. Of course, this was under the thought process that perhaps Hao was disturbed or surprised by everything that had just gone on. Despite Lyserg's flawed modus operandi, Asakura Hao sat with a dejected expression, watching as the tables turned and _broke, _quite literally. A bit of wine had landed upon the side of his milky white features. Almost the hue of blood, it was. With a gentle digit, he wiped it from his cheek and shoved it into his mouth with a soft murmur. "Hn."

It was not long before the Asakura rose to his feet, and pushed his good chair to the side. He watched Lyserg run through the door. He was likely going to get lost in the maze that was his lair, so there was no real need for him to hurry.

"How troublesome," Hao uttered with a sigh.

And as Lyserg traversed through the mazy hallways that didn't yield to his misunderstanding, he felt his heart racing. Although Hao hadn't even started off after him, his mind played images of the other inside of his head. Perhaps he was chasing him. Any moment now, he was expecting a rush of flames to chase him down. Something that he wasn't expecting, something was going to happen, but nothing ever did… until Lyserg passed by a door filled with noise. The sounds of human bodies could be audibly heard. The fear rushed through his flesh that followers—minions of Hao were possibly beyond that room.

His running slowed up to a subtle jog, before he began to tip-toe beside it. The dim lighting of the halls by the fluorescent flickering bulbs above made the atmosphere as eerie as it was. Lyserg felt as if his heart was about to beat out of his chest. The shuffling from inside of the room grew louder. They were closer. Whoever was inside of that room had gotten closer? With a heavy breath Lyserg shook his head zealously. He could not afford to be afraid now.

Once he bolted down the hallway and allowed his footsteps to be heard, pounding echoed from that door so far behind him, and a shriek ran out inaudibly to the shaman.


End file.
